Quitting with wood burning?!?

[unclemoustache]

Wife complains every year in the Summer about firewood- the hassle, the mess, the space it takes up in our living room, etc. She does 'warm up' to the idea when it gets cold outside and I've got a good blaze going.
This year she's pushing a little harder to get rid of the stove, and she wonders what we really save in expense. Since I usually get paid to remove trees, I think we come out ahead quite well, even if our house is old and drafty and we have to have the boiler running sometimes as well. I think it's mostly the mess she doesn't like.

Still, I hate the thought of stopping the burning. One year our finances were so tight we ONLY heated with wood - it was pretty chilly in the house at times, let me tell you! Still, we got through it, and only turned the boiler on when we ran out of wood. (Yeah, I know - I complain about that every year. Looks like I might do it this year too:msp_sneaky: ).

Any advice for convincing a red-head to keep the fire going?

 

[climbhightree]

If you like heating with wood, and she doesn't like the mess...switch to a outdoor wood burner. That way the mess stays outside, and you only have to fill it twice a day. She can then crank the thermostat as much as she wants, with no costs above your free wood. Plus you get unlimited hot water for shower etc.

 

[John R]

Wife complains every year in the Summer about firewood- the hassle, the mess, the space it takes up in our living room, etc. She does 'warm up' to the idea when it gets cold outside and I've got a good blaze going.
This year she's pushing a little harder to get rid of the stove, and she wonders what we really save in expense. Since I usually get paid to remove trees, I think we come out ahead quite well, even if our house is old and drafty and we have to have the boiler running sometimes as well. I think it's mostly the mess she doesn't like.

Still, I hate the thought of stopping the burning. One year our finances were so tight we ONLY heated with wood - it was pretty chilly in the house at times, let me tell you! Still, we got through it, and only turned the boiler on when we ran out of wood. (Yeah, I know - I complain about that every year. Looks like I might do it this year too:msp_sneaky: ).

Any advice for convincing a red-head to keep the fire going?

If she's a true red-head, you've already lost the fight.

 

[philoshop]

Sorry to hear that UncleM. Short of dropping the coin for an OWB, I don't know.
Maybe gently remind her of those times when she does 'warm up' to the idea. And maybe make a few of those times a little more, er, romantic?
How about getting the many hearty children to help keep the mess to a minimum?
Just a couple of thoughts. Sure hope you can keep the stove somehow.
Best,
Philo

 

[flyboy553]

Now, let me get this straight. You get PAID to take trees down, and you run out of firewood???

Sounds to me you can't afford to quit burning wood!

Ted

 

[blackdogon57]

I don't get why it has to be messy. Keep the wood outside and bring in when you need it. I keep about two days worth next to the stove in plastic bins just to get the frost out of it prior to burning.

 

[o8f150]

Wife complains every year in the Summer about firewood- the hassle, the mess, the space it takes up in our living room, etc. She does 'warm up' to the idea when it gets cold outside and I've got a good blaze going.
This year she's pushing a little harder to get rid of the stove, and she wonders what we really save in expense. Since I usually get paid to remove trees, I think we come out ahead quite well, even if our house is old and drafty and we have to have the boiler running sometimes as well. I think it's mostly the mess she doesn't like.

Still, I hate the thought of stopping the burning. One year our finances were so tight we ONLY heated with wood - it was pretty chilly in the house at times, let me tell you! Still, we got through it, and only turned the boiler on when we ran out of wood. (Yeah, I know - I complain about that every year. Looks like I might do it this year too:msp_sneaky: ).

Any advice for convincing a red-head to keep the fire going?

sure its a little bit of a mess,,, Sharon and I work together to take care of all the burning,,,,, just put some figures on paper to show her how much you will be saving in heating bills in the winter,, we are saving about 300 or so each month,, as you seen our place isn't as big as yours but I bet if you invested in a big wood stove for either the den or a big one to put in the basement,,, dave,,, my neighbor,,, has a big wood burner in the basement,, no mess in the house and it stays good and warm for him

 

[cantoo]

I would tell you to get her pregnant but you likely already have. Mine complains about the smell of the wood when we fill the basement in the fall. She complains about how much I spend on wood equipment. She complains about how much time I spend on wood gathering, this includes AS site too. I'm starting to think I just need a new wife.
I'm installing a used OWB right now and she's complaining again about how much I'm spending. I keep telling her will be no more musty smell in the house. I'm going to be heating 2 houses and 2 shops. I don't even want to think how much this setup is costing me.

 

[lone wolf]

Buy her something.opcorn:

 

[Walt41]

Just "one more year it" tell her that you already have a supply of wood and can't really see profit in cashing it up right now but you will put a pencil to it at the end of the upcoming winter...next season just use the same speech and a shorter pencil. One of those "shin buster" carts like the ones at Lowes with plywood floor and sides on it make a nice indoor cart for wood, I used one at my dads place for years.

 

[dave_376]

I save about $500 a month in the winter, oil is too darn expensive!!!! I had to fight with my wife to put a stove in, she complains about the wood in the yard but she also now knows how much warmer the house is with the stove. I used to keep it 50 on the first floor and 65 on the second, now it is 68~72 on the second floor and 72~76 on the first floor. She loves coming home from work after being cold in her office, they keep it 65, she sits next to the fire soaking up the heat.
I told her when I put the stove in that I would buy her a car after one year of burning with all the money we saved. She now has heated seats to keep her toasty when She's driving the kids around.
Unless you get cheap natural gas it sound like a real costly proposition.

 

[muddstopper]

My house is total electric, with wood heat. Summer time power bills are $200ish due to ac. Winter time power is around $100. This year should be even cheaper since i added a water heater to my wood stove. I keep my wood under one of those portable carports. I use a JD gator to haul it into the basement. Drive it right thru the basement door and back right up next to the stove. I only keep about a wks worth of wood inside at any given time. Sometimes, i will stack a wks worth and then leave a load on the gator, just incase its raining outside when I get ready to bring in the wood. A broom takes care of the mess, just sweep it up and dump it in the stove.

to satisfy the wife, just tell her she can have the money you save on the power bill if she keeps the stove hot.

 

[HD2010]

Stop burning wood. Don't get rid of the stove just yet. When you get your first couple of gas bills make sure she see's them and compare them to last year. That should change her mind.

You could also tell her you wear the pants around here and what you say goes. I would not suggest you do this unless you don't like sex.

 

[zogger]

Well, you can put up with the bichen, or we will make you sit wayy over yonder on the other side of the group W bench...

which is worse????

I would think just figure out how to keep the mess more in order, small wagon to contain the wood as it is brought inside from the porch/door maybe?

Besides, every boy needs a radio flyer....

Getting paid to cut down and haul away the wood, then using it to heat the house is the most sane way to do things......it's really the only logical way to do it in your situation. Unless you can sell the wood for twice as much and use that cash to fund and run your alternative piped in reality heater, however that is run.

Even then..I like having a wood stash, and now being years ahead..peace of mind tangible insurance. Look at the US political and economic reality right now...feelin lucky?

A well stocked pantry, years in advance with wood, that's two big potential gotchas taken care of in advance. It's being a good husband and dad and good provider, and taking both the near term and long range view of things.

 

[John R]

Buy her something.opcorn:

Yeah, her own saw, and splitting ax.

 

[griffonks]

Tell her that you'll shave the mustache if she forgives the wood burnin'. That ought to do it.

Seriously, put a pencil to paper and show her how much you are saving, then train a half dozen kids to take care of the fire, cut, split and cleanup.

 

[Dirtboy]

My wife doesn't mind the bit of mess, doesn't care about the wood stacked all over the yard or the toys bought to produce it. I knew she was a keeper when I met her!!!!

 

[brenndatomu]

Stop burning wood. Don't get rid of the stove just yet. When you get your first couple of gas bills make sure she see's them and compare them to last year. That should change her mind.

You could also tell her you wear the pants around here and what you say goes. I would not suggest you do this unless you don't like sex.

...don't like sex...(insert many LOL smilies here)

I second the leave-the-woodstove-off-and-let'er-see-a-couple-gas(oil)-bills option!

 

[o8f150]

I save about $500 a month in the winter, oil is too darn expensive!!!! I had to fight with my wife to put a stove in, she complains about the wood in the yard but she also now knows how much warmer the house is with the stove. I used to keep it 50 on the first floor and 65 on the second, now it is 68~72 on the second floor and 72~76 on the first floor. She loves coming home from work after being cold in her office, they keep it 65, she sits next to the fire soaking up the heat.
I told her when I put the stove in that I would buy her a car after one year of burning with all the money we saved. She now has heated seats to keep her toasty when She's driving the kids around.
Unless you get cheap natural gas it sound like a real costly proposition.

at those temps,,, what are you all eskimos or something:msp_biggrin::msp_biggrin::msp_biggrin:,,, before the wood stove we left the heat at 68 and we stayed wrapped up,, our electric bill was 300-350,,, yes all electric,,, now our winter electric bill is 55-60 or so and the house stays around 78-80,,,, yes I am getting old so I need it a tad warmer,,,,, ohhhhhh yea,,,,, this house holds that temp even with the windows open,,, if we didn't leave the windows open a bit it would be 90 in the house

 

[MechanicMatt]

Uncle M, I bought my house 2.5 years ago. Im going on my 3rd winter here. First winter, I bragged to all my buddies about my radiant floor heating system, "Look at these billet aluminum manifolds" "See how many zone valves I have" "Look! that there is a XYZgpm pump"
Yeah all that was fine and good and just dandy, UNTILL I got my first bill that winter, I paid between 330 to 370 a month that winter to run that piece of crap radiant floor system. I told my wife that growing up we had a wood stove, and I was putting one in our house. She new we'd go broke paying to heat the house. I put it in and burned wood all last winter, and going to burn it all this winter. I clean up the yard like a mad man in the spring so it looks nice. Store the wood most the year on the wood line, move it up to the house in the fall. Again try to clean as much as possible. I try to keep it looking good for her, the kids and honestly my own sake.
I thought that she had forgotten about how much we had paid for heat untill just today. Our friends Church was having a harvest festival, on the church grounds there was A LOT of standing dead ash trees. The Pastor is good friends with my BIL so we got to talking. I secured the deal of removing the "danger trees" (his words) for free and remove all the wood for free ( aren't I a nice guy) . The sister in law thinks Im nuts, but alas the wife stood up for me. She told her sister how the first winter we about went broke heating the house, and ever since I put in the stove, she doesn't remember ever getting another oil bill.

My advice, let her see ONE OIL BILL. You won't ever have the "wood stove argument" ever again.